Given that many library jobs are university and government, it makes sense that pay would be low relative to a lot of other grad degrees.

And given the over-inflated reports of high demand for librarians by the ALA and library schools, and the subsequent push by ALA and schools to enroll as many students as possible, it makes sense that job prospects would be very low.

My understanding was that the profession was aging and many current librarians would be retiring soon. I personally know several librarians who hoped to retire by now but can't afford to yet. I think the projections for job growth in the field assumed a lot of retiring would be happening, allowing people with some experience to move up and free the entry level jobs for the (many) new graduates.

It's a funny ranking system that puts library science as "worse for jobs" than an MA in English or Music. I mean, I don't expect it to compete with electrical engineering (though I know a few mathematicians working in bars), but worse than English? Seriously? In what universe?

to be fair, 3 years ago I exited into the very worst of the downturn, and went right into a small but paying job. When that temporary gig was over, I got royally screwed. Two more classes had graduated since then, and even with temporary, part-time work I looked like I wasn't doing anything. So that really counted against me. I think/hope a graduate today wouldn't have the bias of 2/3 years of unemployment hanging them down.

The best advice I can give is intern constantly. Never, never stop having work, because the moment you aren't employed they assume you don't want to be.

Same here - graduated in 2010, been job hunting and honing my skills on my own since then, but I also took a job in retail to pay my bills. Thought I was doing the responsible thing, and instead I constantly have to answer for what appears to be disinterest in the field.

I finally got one after two years! Part-time, night shift, no benefits, teaching virtually illiterate community college students how to use the internet night after night. But it's a job, right? Seriously considering going back to school.

I've just gotten to where I feel like I'd do anything for just ONE job. Working 3 part time jobs, none of them with benefits, trying to maintain a long distance relationship, and still making time to cook (I have Celiac, so fast food is both out of my budget and not really an option), spend time with my cat, and feed both of us is wearing me thin. Getting close to giving up on the possibility of finding a library job that would enable me to give up my other jobs.

Have you looked into other things? I'm leaning toward CS certifications, like A+ and Cisco CCNA and things like that. Or at least HTML/CSS/Javascript. Something in a field that is growing instead of shrinking and that I could benefit from longterm.

that's what really gets me angry. Library fields should be booming - there's paper everywhere. THere's data everywhere. Everywhere there's data there's a place for a librarian or Information Scientist. There's plenty of work. But it's just not being filled by Librarians. It's being filled by paper pushers who can't quantify the data or present it well. And then those same schmucks laugh at you "Aren't libraries dying?!"

I think that's why it's important for librarians to play-up the "information science" aspect of the field, rather than let people assume that the increased digitization of the world in general would be better handled by computer techs than librarians. CIS and LIS are two branches of the same field, and it seems that it's increasingly important to emphasize their similarities more than their differences.

Be strong. Try utilizing your degree for an alternative purpose. I managed to get a full time salaried position two months after graduation (May 2011) because I applied for positions that exist outside conventional LIS career paths. The traditional LIS field is overly saturated so you should try for something new. There's a ton of demand for an LIS degree, but you've gotta find it.

i think this has got to be true. i'm just finishing up my program and had a company fly me out to san francisco for an interview (which i didnt get) but now i'm working at a really great research position at columbia for the summer, and hopefully will have it turn into a full time thing. i took a lot of technical classes though, and have a fairly strong tech background. if you're going to library school to work circ or ref, what did you really expect?

Honestly, the first part shouldn't be a surprise. If you got into library work for the money you have more issues than this list. But the job prospects thing is a concern, hopefully as the economy starts to recover a bit so will traditional (public, school) libraries.

agreed about expected earnings. Also I'd be interested to see what jobs they are considering in terms of "job prospects" I'm guessing it is mainly traditional librarian jobs. There are actually a lot of different jobs that are applicable for MSI/MLS/MLIS students that most people don't think of when they think of the degree. They just think "libraries" which is a fairly narrow and inaccurate view.

right exactly. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm aware that it may take some time to find a decent job and may take even more time to find the job I really want, but I just think that the field is a lot wider than a lot of people realize. I mean hell have you ever tried explaining what exactly it is that you do/want to do to your parents?

Once I was attending a talk by a well known computer scientists to LIS audience. At the end of the talk we asked him that why Information Technology guys are not making use of well established practices in LIS for information handling. He replied with an analogy comparing the scenario with that of Bill Gates success in OS business.

When he started Microsoft there were already many established players in the field. The train has already started. But he ran behind it and managed to get into the last coach. But he did not stopped there, he went on running till he reached the driver's cabin. He overpowered the driver and took control of the train himself. So the computer scientist told us, if LIS people are feeling that IT people are driving the train in the wrong direction, overpower us and take control.

It would be nice if library schools themselves made the job market more of a priority - maybe just one class in the prerequisites, nothing major. If they want us to keep enrolling they should help with the job search - give us a realistic look at the market, tell us what employers are most in need of today, point us in the direction of certifications & continuing ed that will improve our chances. Instead I heard just the same as what's being repeated here - "old librarians are retiring, there will be jobs, be willing to relocate."

You know this was depressing, but then I saw that second best is computer science and 5th is information systems. Both of which I am getting significant experience with in my MSI ALA accredited program.

Also "Mid-career median pay: $57,600Projected" may not be raking in the dough, but my dad supported a family of four until my mom went back to work after we graduated high school and he only made/makes $50,000 a year. So while this isn't a super high paying job it's really not so bad.

Still. I don't know, I just don't buy that it is that dire. Granted I'm not planning to be a librarian strictly speaking. I'm archives and records management and preservation of information. Plus I already have a subject specific M.A. I'm not saying that I'm going to find my dream job right away, but I'm fairly confident that I will be vastly more employable once I finish with my MSI degree.

I graduate with my MLIS in 2 months I can see how that would be depressing. None of us got into this business with the expectation of making insane money. That being said there are jobs out there you just have to be willing to move and look outside your comfort zone.

I come from a legal background, but right now I work in a scientific library. Is it what I wanted no, but it is what I found.